'Cops' episode to feature Green Bay Police

Capt. Kevin Warych said production crews lived the life of Green Bay officers for two months, filming a variety of incidents. July 15, 2016.
Jeff Bollier | USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

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Green Bay police officers interview a man and a woman after a traffic stop on East Mason Street while a videographer from the TV show "Cops" shoots video.(Photo: Jim Matthews/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)Buy Photo

GREEN BAY - The Green Bay Police Department confirmed the worst-kept secret in the city Friday morning: "Cops" has been filming in Green Bay since May.

Capt. Kevin Warych said two crews from Langley Productions, the company that produces the reality television show, have been shadowing police on afternoon, evening and night calls for service with an aim at recording three incidents to include in future episodes.

“They lived and breathed what a Green Bay police officer would see on a daily basis with the hopes of them getting incidents where we can represent the city of Green Bay on a national level,” Warych said.

Crews wrapped up filming in the city this week, leaving the department able to finally confirm the TV crews’ presence. Warych said the department intended to notify the community right away, but Langley Productions said doing so often leads to fake emergency calls by people hoping to get on television.

“We never hid that they were here, but we didn’t publicize it so people didn’t make fake 911 calls,” he said.

He said police and city leaders will be able to approve any scenes before they air. No air dates have been set.

“In working with the crew, we’re able to review the video to determine what’s good and what’s bad,” Warych said. “The production crew was really very accommodating. They knew the jargon, the way officers think, how police departments operate. … You could tell they were very professional and had a lot of experience at this.”

Taylor Vanden Bush was among the first Green Bay residents to have an interaction with the "Cops" crew.

Vanden Bush, an Uber driver, was waiting for a rider on Cherry Street on May 26 when police and the film crew pulled up.

"I was technically parked in two spaces waiting for the rider," he said. "So a bike cop went by and all of a sudden a squad car pulled up with a microphone and put a spotlight on me. I was definitely caught off guard."

Vanden Bush said the officer asked him a few questions. Once the officer realized he was parked for a legitimate reason and things started to wrap up, he asked about the cameras.

"They said they were just doing their job and documenting it," he said. The officer eventually told him they were filming for "Cops."

His "Cops" experience will not be aired, but Vanden Bush is still surprised and amused by the incident.

"Cops" was launched in 1989 on the Fox network. Now in its 29th season, the documentary/reality show airs on Spike TV.

Warych said Langley Productions emailed him to ask if the department would be interested in working with the show. He said the department viewed it as an opportunity to highlight the work officers do on a day-to-day basis and as an opportunity to raise awareness on a national level.

“We just want to represent the great work of the Green Bay Police Department,” Warych said. “In the views that I’ve seen, it really represents Green Bay very positively. It represents the community and really showcases the city.”